The Robinson Jeffers Big Read has officially ended. We would like to thank our community partners, participating schools and the students and faculty of Occidental College for their support over the course of the program. Check back for final updates, photo postings and summaries of events both here on the blog and at the Jeffers Big Read Facebook fan page.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Robinson Jeffers Big Read
The Robinson Jeffers Big Read has officially ended. We would like to thank our community partners, participating schools and the students and faculty of Occidental College for their support over the course of the program. Check back for final updates, photo postings and summaries of events both here on the blog and at the Jeffers Big Read Facebook fan page.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Jeffers Day is Here!
Join us for animals, art, poetry, music and Jeffers galore at Occidental College! The schedule for the day can be found here.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Jeffers Day is 4 days away!
From 10am to 2pm, Occidental campus is alive with poetry readings, art walks, nature walks, exhibits, music and drama. It's a great day to be on campus! Invite your friends and neighbors! Free and open to public. Schedule
New! Poetry Workshop this Thursday, Nov. 5, 6pm
The Oxy Writers' Workshop & Feast Arts and Literary Magazine invite you to a special poetry workshop honoring Robinson Jeffers. Student writers from these organizations will present a short lecture on Jeffers' thematic and aesthetic concerns, and then the group will compose some "free-writes" based on a selection from Jeffers. The workshop will focus on our response to the idiom of Jeffers' body of work.
We invite any and all poetry enthusiasts to attend - all levels of experience are welcome!!!! The workshop will begin at 6 in Fowler 113.
We invite any and all poetry enthusiasts to attend - all levels of experience are welcome!!!! The workshop will begin at 6 in Fowler 113.
Reflections from an L.A. Poet
Suzanne Lummis led the Los Angeles Poetry Festival's multiple poetry readings throughout the Big Read month. Here are her reflections on the experience:
The three readings titled "The Deer Lay Down their Bones: Poems by and in the spirit of Robison Jeffers" featured long-time, well-published Los Angeles area poets and some accomplished newer poets, all reading selections of Jeffers along with their own work. I organized these under the auspices of The Los Angeles Poetry Festival, and the readings appeared on the Festival web site.
October 3, Saturday, Eagle Rock Branch LibrarySarah Maclay, Carine Topal, William Archila, Brendan Constantine, Charlotte Innes, Terry McCarty.
With 32 in attendance this library room looked fairly full. The audience included many Los Angeles area poets, UCLA Extension poetry students, and a few from the community, including a couple with their eighteen year old daughter who was attending her first poetry reading. Most, including the family, lingered for a long while afterward and seemed delighted with the experience. On my way to my car I passed a cluster of people still talking about poetry -- in the middle of the parking lot. Of the three readings, this one felt the most intimate -- like a salon. It would've been nice to have drawn more people from the surrounding community, but the following Saturday's reading did considerably better in that regard. Here, especially, the main result may have been the kindling, or re-kindling, of the poets' interest in Jeffers, and the way that this event fortified the participants sense of artistic camaraderie Later many enthusiastic emails circulated among the participating poets, all extolling Jeffers and their sense of fellowship. I've attached a copy of these emails.
October 10, Saturday, El Alisal (co-produced with The Historical Society of Southern California and "Lummis Day"Charles Harper Webb, Suzanne Lummis, Cecilia Woloch, Dale Raoul (actress), Jamie Fitzgerald
When all sixty seats filled, other people sat wherever they could -- well over 70 from far and near, some very near -- they walked over. Interestingly this audience included several stray Jeffers aficionados, people from here and there who'd always liked Jeffers then heard about this reading. Also History buffs showed up, and -- along with a number of noted poets -- many people I've never seen before at poetry events, or anywhere. I felt this reading was especially well paced and various, spirited. Dale Raoul, an actress, did a lovely job with the Jeffers poems she chose -- wonderful to have someone from one of the other arts involved. Again, a happy mood prevailed after the reading. Several people bought books. In my set I'd told the audience that I believed no one should grow up in a house without poetry books -- I'd never lived in a place that didn't have poetry on the bookshelves. During the reception -- a fine one provided by The Southern California Historical Society -- a working fellow from the neighborhood came up with a copy of "In Danger" and asked me to dedicate it to his son. "For him" he said, pointing to the the baby carriage. He took a photo of me together with his wife and baby, and they seemed quite happy and proud to be introducing their boy to contemporary poetry, at the age of six months.
Saturday, October 17, Arroyo Seco Branch LibraryDorothy Barresi, Lynn Thompsn, Erika Ayon, Judith Pacht
This one had an especiallly improvisational and participatory quality, which made for good fun and engaged the audience, who numbered 35 -- again, plenty for that room. A couple or more Occidental Students were in attendance, various library patrons, at least one visual artist I recognized, and a fair number of Los Angeles area poets. To his regret Pete Fairchild couldn't come; his wife had planned a birthday surprise. I invited, impromptu, William Archila to read something of his in the spirit of Jeffers. He rose to the occasion with a fine poem, one revolving around the Guayabera, a style of shirt common in Latin America that William felt would look good on Robinson Jeffers. Erika Montenegro, the saavy librarian, chose to set up this reading to resemble a panel, with the poets together at a table. At the end of the reading I invited Erika to pose a question to the poets, and following that the audience posed questions, and also talked to each other -- but in an orderly fashion. And then many poets in the audience began spontaneously to annouce their upcoming readings -- also in an orderly fashion. Of the three readings this one drew out the most discussion of Jeffers and his poetry; whereas the others involved simple presentation of his poems with some comment from the poets on why they chose those particular poems. Erika had set out a fine reception, and, as before, many in the audience stayed for a long while afterward engaging the poets in conversation.
Many thanks to Dale Steiber and Emily Bergman for support and assistance on all readings.
The three readings titled "The Deer Lay Down their Bones: Poems by and in the spirit of Robison Jeffers" featured long-time, well-published Los Angeles area poets and some accomplished newer poets, all reading selections of Jeffers along with their own work. I organized these under the auspices of The Los Angeles Poetry Festival, and the readings appeared on the Festival web site.
October 3, Saturday, Eagle Rock Branch LibrarySarah Maclay, Carine Topal, William Archila, Brendan Constantine, Charlotte Innes, Terry McCarty.
With 32 in attendance this library room looked fairly full. The audience included many Los Angeles area poets, UCLA Extension poetry students, and a few from the community, including a couple with their eighteen year old daughter who was attending her first poetry reading. Most, including the family, lingered for a long while afterward and seemed delighted with the experience. On my way to my car I passed a cluster of people still talking about poetry -- in the middle of the parking lot. Of the three readings, this one felt the most intimate -- like a salon. It would've been nice to have drawn more people from the surrounding community, but the following Saturday's reading did considerably better in that regard. Here, especially, the main result may have been the kindling, or re-kindling, of the poets' interest in Jeffers, and the way that this event fortified the participants sense of artistic camaraderie Later many enthusiastic emails circulated among the participating poets, all extolling Jeffers and their sense of fellowship. I've attached a copy of these emails.
October 10, Saturday, El Alisal (co-produced with The Historical Society of Southern California and "Lummis Day"Charles Harper Webb, Suzanne Lummis, Cecilia Woloch, Dale Raoul (actress), Jamie Fitzgerald
When all sixty seats filled, other people sat wherever they could -- well over 70 from far and near, some very near -- they walked over. Interestingly this audience included several stray Jeffers aficionados, people from here and there who'd always liked Jeffers then heard about this reading. Also History buffs showed up, and -- along with a number of noted poets -- many people I've never seen before at poetry events, or anywhere. I felt this reading was especially well paced and various, spirited. Dale Raoul, an actress, did a lovely job with the Jeffers poems she chose -- wonderful to have someone from one of the other arts involved. Again, a happy mood prevailed after the reading. Several people bought books. In my set I'd told the audience that I believed no one should grow up in a house without poetry books -- I'd never lived in a place that didn't have poetry on the bookshelves. During the reception -- a fine one provided by The Southern California Historical Society -- a working fellow from the neighborhood came up with a copy of "In Danger" and asked me to dedicate it to his son. "For him" he said, pointing to the the baby carriage. He took a photo of me together with his wife and baby, and they seemed quite happy and proud to be introducing their boy to contemporary poetry, at the age of six months.
Saturday, October 17, Arroyo Seco Branch LibraryDorothy Barresi, Lynn Thompsn, Erika Ayon, Judith Pacht
This one had an especiallly improvisational and participatory quality, which made for good fun and engaged the audience, who numbered 35 -- again, plenty for that room. A couple or more Occidental Students were in attendance, various library patrons, at least one visual artist I recognized, and a fair number of Los Angeles area poets. To his regret Pete Fairchild couldn't come; his wife had planned a birthday surprise. I invited, impromptu, William Archila to read something of his in the spirit of Jeffers. He rose to the occasion with a fine poem, one revolving around the Guayabera, a style of shirt common in Latin America that William felt would look good on Robinson Jeffers. Erika Montenegro, the saavy librarian, chose to set up this reading to resemble a panel, with the poets together at a table. At the end of the reading I invited Erika to pose a question to the poets, and following that the audience posed questions, and also talked to each other -- but in an orderly fashion. And then many poets in the audience began spontaneously to annouce their upcoming readings -- also in an orderly fashion. Of the three readings this one drew out the most discussion of Jeffers and his poetry; whereas the others involved simple presentation of his poems with some comment from the poets on why they chose those particular poems. Erika had set out a fine reception, and, as before, many in the audience stayed for a long while afterward engaging the poets in conversation.
Many thanks to Dale Steiber and Emily Bergman for support and assistance on all readings.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Jeffers Day - Festival, Nov. 7 10am-2pm - Free!
Don't miss our final event of The Big Read. We are wrapping up our month-long community celebration of poet Robinson Jeffers, class of 1905, on Saturday, Nov. 7, with a festival of poetry, exhibits, music, dance and performance at the Occidental College campus in Eagle Rock
Schedule at a Glance:
Library Steps: 10:00-11:00am
California poets, Oxy students and community members perform Jeffers poetry as well as their own works, music.
Upper Herrick: 11:10am – 11:30pm
Scenes from Jeffers’ acclaimed version of Medea performed by Marshall HS.
Coons Steps: 11:30AM-12:30pm and 12:30-2:00pm
Performances by Occidental Glee Club, Pulse Hip Hop Club, Feast Literary Club, Oxy folk dance troop, plus more voices of poets, ASL translation of Jeffers poetry.
Ecologies of Poetry Site Specific Student Art Works
Occidental students, working with Jeffers Big Read artistic director, Corey Madden, have created four sites on campus where poetry, performance and ecology intersect in site-specific art works. Guided walks through the sites are led by student artists.
Walk #1 (25 mins) - Quad and Gilman Fountain South Lawn- 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 12:30pm, 1:00pm, 1:30pmWalk # 2 (20 mins)- Olive Grove to Sustainable Garden- 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm
Bird Watching Walk
Campus walk led by Associate Professor of Biology, Beth Braker and Jeff Chapman of the Audubon Center.
Wildlife Waystation PresentationWildlife Waystation presents a live California raptor and more on endangered wildlife of Southern California.
Demonstration Bee Hive
Occidental College’s Bruce Steele, a bee-keeper with more than100 hives in the area, offers a safe peek into the lives of bees.
LIBRARY: Gallery 10:00am-2:00pm
Exhibitions and performances…Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry main exhibit with curator; Gear Up student art exhibition offers a variety of media, including photography, collage, clay-mation, shadow puppets and video; plus poetry performances.
COONS Administration Building 1st Floor Rotunda -10:00am-2:00pm
Occidental Student Artists Response to Jeffers Poetry Selected prints from works created by Occidental College students in three Fall printmaking classes in AHVA.
Events are free, This Is a *CSP 99 Event. Program is subject to change.
Schedule at a Glance:
Library Steps: 10:00-11:00am
California poets, Oxy students and community members perform Jeffers poetry as well as their own works, music.
Upper Herrick: 11:10am – 11:30pm
Scenes from Jeffers’ acclaimed version of Medea performed by Marshall HS.
Coons Steps: 11:30AM-12:30pm and 12:30-2:00pm
Performances by Occidental Glee Club, Pulse Hip Hop Club, Feast Literary Club, Oxy folk dance troop, plus more voices of poets, ASL translation of Jeffers poetry.
Ecologies of Poetry Site Specific Student Art Works
Occidental students, working with Jeffers Big Read artistic director, Corey Madden, have created four sites on campus where poetry, performance and ecology intersect in site-specific art works. Guided walks through the sites are led by student artists.
Walk #1 (25 mins) - Quad and Gilman Fountain South Lawn- 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 12:30pm, 1:00pm, 1:30pmWalk # 2 (20 mins)- Olive Grove to Sustainable Garden- 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm
Bird Watching Walk
Campus walk led by Associate Professor of Biology, Beth Braker and Jeff Chapman of the Audubon Center.
Wildlife Waystation PresentationWildlife Waystation presents a live California raptor and more on endangered wildlife of Southern California.
Demonstration Bee Hive
Occidental College’s Bruce Steele, a bee-keeper with more than100 hives in the area, offers a safe peek into the lives of bees.
LIBRARY: Gallery 10:00am-2:00pm
Exhibitions and performances…Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry main exhibit with curator; Gear Up student art exhibition offers a variety of media, including photography, collage, clay-mation, shadow puppets and video; plus poetry performances.
COONS Administration Building 1st Floor Rotunda -10:00am-2:00pm
Occidental Student Artists Response to Jeffers Poetry Selected prints from works created by Occidental College students in three Fall printmaking classes in AHVA.
Events are free, This Is a *CSP 99 Event. Program is subject to change.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Jeffers in the Classroom
Artistic Director Corey Madden has leading a nine-week workshop with Occidental College students called "Robinson Jeffers: Ecologies of Poetry." Photos from the class can be seen here. Here are Corey's notes on the experience thus far:
THE CLASS:
The independent study course: Robinson Jeffers: Ecologies of Poetry, is a participatory nine (9) week workshop where students will
· Develop skills in devising and composition;
· explore themes related to Robinson Jeffers’ poetry and legacy
· Use compositional elements such as natural elements, music, sound, performance, movement, text, environments, etc
· engage with the work of other artists including Maya Lin, Andy Goldsworthy and Isamu Noguchi and writers such as Gary Snyder, John McPhee, etc.
· collaborate in teams and independently
· engage with several communities during the development and presentation of work ( Oxy students, NE elementary and/or high school students, NE general population)
· create and produce multi/inter-disciplinary performances and installations in class and on campus
· plan and install their culminating projects within a budget and timeframe on the campus for the public and Oxy community between November 1-7, 2009.
9/15/09 CLASS 1
After a fast and furious recruitment process, we have 6 students registered for the Independent Study “Ecologies of Poetry” and about 30 students who want to participate in the project but haven’t got time in their schedules for a regular class.
Joni, Dmitri, Natayla, Monikah, Elaine and Julian represent a diverse cross section of the college community. We have science, humanities and arts majors, with interests in education, ecology and interdisciplinary art.
We read the Robinson Jeffers’ NEA reader’s guide together as a group. We looked at documentary photos of North East Los Angeles from the 1880s through 1920’s. We also looked at the work of land artists Maya Lin, Andy Goldsworthy and sculptor Isamu Noguchi.
I introduced the concept of composition by talking with students about their own experiences with making art, writing, music, running experiments etc. I talked about the common threads in any generative and creative process. I also talked about “shaping meaning” as a common process in all art, and “shaping meaning over time” a key difference between plastic arts and performing arts.
This class will develop the ability to compose short interdisciplinary works through an “additive” pedagogy. Over the course of 8 week, students will make a series of compositions, using “elements” such as text, site, nature, performer, sound, social content, introduced each week. Structuring and response techniques are introduced through dialogue among students as they watch and respond to each others’ work.
For our first class, we did a close reading using Jeffers’ the poem, Science. From this the students created a found poem, composed of words and phrases from the Jeffers’ poem to which they responded. Each student read her/his work aloud. For homework, I gave them their first Composition, in which they will use their found poem, a piece of paper, and an element of nature to make a site-specific work.
9/22/09 CLASS 2
I taught a one hour workshop at Lincoln High for 9 high school students in the GEAR UP mentoring program. I developed a variation of Composition #1 and the kids created found poems by cutting up the Jeffers text and then making a collage using the documentary photos from the turn of the century as inspiration. We’ll display these works on Jeffers’ Day. Had to race from Lincoln to Oxy in 95 degree heat! Phew!
At Oxy students showed their Composition #1- Text. This composition gave students the chance to work with three “elements”: Text ( found poem), Nature, Site ( a piece of paper)
Very excited by what the students produced this week. A few examples: Elaine embossed her paper with the bark of a tree and cut a door in her paper, that she opened and closed at the beginning and end of her poem. Joni produced a facsimile of a tree using her paper and placed a live oak branch in it. Dmitri drew an extraordinary pen and ink of a hand holding a compass.
Bruce Steele, “the patron saint of ecology” at Oxy came to class took the students and me on an enlightening and exhausting walk up to the top of Fiji Hill. Water use is of great concern to Bruce, and we learned about a water recycling system he helped designed and had installed under the parking lot on Fiji Hill.
Oxy uses 95 million gallons of water a year, most of which waters the soft scape. Run off because of the extensive hardscape is a huge concern on campus.
From high atop Fiji Hill, Bruce introduced us to the geology of the area, showed us native plants and talked about a variety of animals he’s encountered as a beekeeper in the area.
Bruce and the grounds staff cut a tree down and have kindly sawed it into 6 inch pieces for use in our projects. He has also gotten the FEAST the sustainable garden club to give us one garden bed to plant aesthetically. Bruce has also agreed to bring his bees to the garden for Jeffers’ day. Yeah, Bruce!
9/29/09 CLASS 3
In the first half of class today Elaine, Julian and Dmitri showed their site based works, based on Composition #2.
We offered responses to each student artist: what we saw, felt, heard, or were aware of in watching their piece. I also drew attention to structuring a work in simple ways: “Beginning, Middle, End” or “Establishment, Tension, Release” and to placing the audience in a very specific relationship to the site and considering how to move the audience’s focus.
In the second half of class we spent time with composer, Bruno Louchouarn as well as student sound designer, Jeff Adler, who has offered to work with students on their pieces.
We talked about sound and music as compositional elements in your pieces. Bruno focused his talk on the use of metaphor as a construct to develop sound/musical ideas for your piece.
Key ideas in the use of metaphor to stimulate development of a work:
Metaphors associate the meaning of one thing with another
Metaphors can be in varying degrees of contrast or consonance with each other.
For instance, we came up with several different metaphors from considering a simple plastic bottle of water.
One could work with the concept of the bottle’s “transparency” or the water’s “purity”.
A next step would be to generate associations that these metaphors brings up: cloudy, dirty, distorted, membrane, containment, etc…. and also look for strong contrasting metaphors such as “pollution” or “contamination”.
From this ideas about sounds and music, but also the piece as a whole may be generated. A site work example developed in class:
“Floating many plastic bottles of dirty water in the Oxy fountain and playing a score that shifts from sounds of nature to sounds of construction to sounds of wailing children.”
10/1/09 VISITS AND KICK OFF
Met with student dance club leader and discussed potential collaboration.
Visited with Elissa Chandler and about 15 students at the FEAST garden. We have several ideas about how to collaborate. Along with Auntie Em’s FEAST will sponsor at table at Jeffers’ Day with organic food baskets on display, as well as bi-lingual instructions about how to plant a kitchen garden.
Went to Opening Day for The Big Read. About 80 people showed up. It was wonderful to hear Jeffers’ poetry read by students, the new President of Occidental and to see how many members of the community are supportive.
10/6/09 CLASS 4
Natalya, Monikah and Joni showed Composition #2 -Site today. Natalya worked in the olive grove. Monikah found a hidden gem, in the garden south of the President’s House and Joni, showed work in the plant matter recycling lot up on Fiji Hill.
In a response period we focused on how to visually define a site, how to avoid limiting the site to the space around the performer, directing the eye through a progression of experiences that include “arrangement” can have a huge impact on directing attention
In Composition #3-Sound we’re incorporating the concept of metaphor from our class with composer, Bruno Louchouarn, and working with the text, Regarding Wave by Pulitzer Gary Snyder, another California poet sometimes referred to as the poet laureate of Deep Ecology.
Because time is marching on, we’re combining Composition 3 and 4. Composition 4: Social Content asked students to select Social Content to include in their work. I gave them four suggestions: sustainability, water use, youth, art and poetry. In some cases students have already selected content that’s meaningful and resonant with Jeffers’ Day. Students will also work in partnership, in preparation for how they will work on the final compositions.
THE CLASS:
The independent study course: Robinson Jeffers: Ecologies of Poetry, is a participatory nine (9) week workshop where students will
· Develop skills in devising and composition;
· explore themes related to Robinson Jeffers’ poetry and legacy
· Use compositional elements such as natural elements, music, sound, performance, movement, text, environments, etc
· engage with the work of other artists including Maya Lin, Andy Goldsworthy and Isamu Noguchi and writers such as Gary Snyder, John McPhee, etc.
· collaborate in teams and independently
· engage with several communities during the development and presentation of work ( Oxy students, NE elementary and/or high school students, NE general population)
· create and produce multi/inter-disciplinary performances and installations in class and on campus
· plan and install their culminating projects within a budget and timeframe on the campus for the public and Oxy community between November 1-7, 2009.
9/15/09 CLASS 1
After a fast and furious recruitment process, we have 6 students registered for the Independent Study “Ecologies of Poetry” and about 30 students who want to participate in the project but haven’t got time in their schedules for a regular class.
Joni, Dmitri, Natayla, Monikah, Elaine and Julian represent a diverse cross section of the college community. We have science, humanities and arts majors, with interests in education, ecology and interdisciplinary art.
We read the Robinson Jeffers’ NEA reader’s guide together as a group. We looked at documentary photos of North East Los Angeles from the 1880s through 1920’s. We also looked at the work of land artists Maya Lin, Andy Goldsworthy and sculptor Isamu Noguchi.
I introduced the concept of composition by talking with students about their own experiences with making art, writing, music, running experiments etc. I talked about the common threads in any generative and creative process. I also talked about “shaping meaning” as a common process in all art, and “shaping meaning over time” a key difference between plastic arts and performing arts.
This class will develop the ability to compose short interdisciplinary works through an “additive” pedagogy. Over the course of 8 week, students will make a series of compositions, using “elements” such as text, site, nature, performer, sound, social content, introduced each week. Structuring and response techniques are introduced through dialogue among students as they watch and respond to each others’ work.
For our first class, we did a close reading using Jeffers’ the poem, Science. From this the students created a found poem, composed of words and phrases from the Jeffers’ poem to which they responded. Each student read her/his work aloud. For homework, I gave them their first Composition, in which they will use their found poem, a piece of paper, and an element of nature to make a site-specific work.
9/22/09 CLASS 2
I taught a one hour workshop at Lincoln High for 9 high school students in the GEAR UP mentoring program. I developed a variation of Composition #1 and the kids created found poems by cutting up the Jeffers text and then making a collage using the documentary photos from the turn of the century as inspiration. We’ll display these works on Jeffers’ Day. Had to race from Lincoln to Oxy in 95 degree heat! Phew!
At Oxy students showed their Composition #1- Text. This composition gave students the chance to work with three “elements”: Text ( found poem), Nature, Site ( a piece of paper)
Very excited by what the students produced this week. A few examples: Elaine embossed her paper with the bark of a tree and cut a door in her paper, that she opened and closed at the beginning and end of her poem. Joni produced a facsimile of a tree using her paper and placed a live oak branch in it. Dmitri drew an extraordinary pen and ink of a hand holding a compass.
Bruce Steele, “the patron saint of ecology” at Oxy came to class took the students and me on an enlightening and exhausting walk up to the top of Fiji Hill. Water use is of great concern to Bruce, and we learned about a water recycling system he helped designed and had installed under the parking lot on Fiji Hill.
Oxy uses 95 million gallons of water a year, most of which waters the soft scape. Run off because of the extensive hardscape is a huge concern on campus.
From high atop Fiji Hill, Bruce introduced us to the geology of the area, showed us native plants and talked about a variety of animals he’s encountered as a beekeeper in the area.
Bruce and the grounds staff cut a tree down and have kindly sawed it into 6 inch pieces for use in our projects. He has also gotten the FEAST the sustainable garden club to give us one garden bed to plant aesthetically. Bruce has also agreed to bring his bees to the garden for Jeffers’ day. Yeah, Bruce!
9/29/09 CLASS 3
In the first half of class today Elaine, Julian and Dmitri showed their site based works, based on Composition #2.
We offered responses to each student artist: what we saw, felt, heard, or were aware of in watching their piece. I also drew attention to structuring a work in simple ways: “Beginning, Middle, End” or “Establishment, Tension, Release” and to placing the audience in a very specific relationship to the site and considering how to move the audience’s focus.
In the second half of class we spent time with composer, Bruno Louchouarn as well as student sound designer, Jeff Adler, who has offered to work with students on their pieces.
We talked about sound and music as compositional elements in your pieces. Bruno focused his talk on the use of metaphor as a construct to develop sound/musical ideas for your piece.
Key ideas in the use of metaphor to stimulate development of a work:
Metaphors associate the meaning of one thing with another
Metaphors can be in varying degrees of contrast or consonance with each other.
For instance, we came up with several different metaphors from considering a simple plastic bottle of water.
One could work with the concept of the bottle’s “transparency” or the water’s “purity”.
A next step would be to generate associations that these metaphors brings up: cloudy, dirty, distorted, membrane, containment, etc…. and also look for strong contrasting metaphors such as “pollution” or “contamination”.
From this ideas about sounds and music, but also the piece as a whole may be generated. A site work example developed in class:
“Floating many plastic bottles of dirty water in the Oxy fountain and playing a score that shifts from sounds of nature to sounds of construction to sounds of wailing children.”
10/1/09 VISITS AND KICK OFF
Met with student dance club leader and discussed potential collaboration.
Visited with Elissa Chandler and about 15 students at the FEAST garden. We have several ideas about how to collaborate. Along with Auntie Em’s FEAST will sponsor at table at Jeffers’ Day with organic food baskets on display, as well as bi-lingual instructions about how to plant a kitchen garden.
Went to Opening Day for The Big Read. About 80 people showed up. It was wonderful to hear Jeffers’ poetry read by students, the new President of Occidental and to see how many members of the community are supportive.
10/6/09 CLASS 4
Natalya, Monikah and Joni showed Composition #2 -Site today. Natalya worked in the olive grove. Monikah found a hidden gem, in the garden south of the President’s House and Joni, showed work in the plant matter recycling lot up on Fiji Hill.
In a response period we focused on how to visually define a site, how to avoid limiting the site to the space around the performer, directing the eye through a progression of experiences that include “arrangement” can have a huge impact on directing attention
In Composition #3-Sound we’re incorporating the concept of metaphor from our class with composer, Bruno Louchouarn, and working with the text, Regarding Wave by Pulitzer Gary Snyder, another California poet sometimes referred to as the poet laureate of Deep Ecology.
Because time is marching on, we’re combining Composition 3 and 4. Composition 4: Social Content asked students to select Social Content to include in their work. I gave them four suggestions: sustainability, water use, youth, art and poetry. In some cases students have already selected content that’s meaningful and resonant with Jeffers’ Day. Students will also work in partnership, in preparation for how they will work on the final compositions.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
More Big Read Events this Weekend!
Saturday, October 24
10:00am – 12:00pm
10:00am – 12:00pm
Walking Tour of Jeffers' Highland Park
Highland Park Heritage Trust, meet at the Band Shell
Neighborhood walking tour of the area around where Occidental was located when Jeffers was there. The tour will be led by Occidental alumni, Marilyn and Curt Robertson ('70, '68). The tour will begin at the band shell with a poetry reading and include two more readings at two of the houses. Refreshments will be served at Hillary Danner's house at the end at Avenue 50 Studios. Sign up online at the Heritage Trust website, donation requested.
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Highland Park Heritage Trust, meet at the Band Shell
Neighborhood walking tour of the area around where Occidental was located when Jeffers was there. The tour will be led by Occidental alumni, Marilyn and Curt Robertson ('70, '68). The tour will begin at the band shell with a poetry reading and include two more readings at two of the houses. Refreshments will be served at Hillary Danner's house at the end at Avenue 50 Studios. Sign up online at the Heritage Trust website, donation requested.
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Art and Nature and Poetry, Debs Park
Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 North Griffin Ave., Los Angeles CA 90031
Join artist Patricia González and an Audubon naturalist as we discover the nature of Debs Park through art and the poetry of Robinson Jeffers. Work on your own art and take it home. Families with children of all ages are welcome.
Sunday, October 25
11:00am – 1:00pm
Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 North Griffin Ave., Los Angeles CA 90031
Join artist Patricia González and an Audubon naturalist as we discover the nature of Debs Park through art and the poetry of Robinson Jeffers. Work on your own art and take it home. Families with children of all ages are welcome.
Sunday, October 25
11:00am – 1:00pm
Walking Tour of Jeffers' Highland Park
Highland Park Heritage Trust, meet at the Band Shell
Neighborhood walking tour of the area around where Occidental was located when Jeffers was there. The tour will be led by Occidental alumni, Marilyn and Curt Robertson ('70, '68). The tour will begin at the band shell with a poetry reading and include two more readings at two of the houses. Refreshments will be served at Hillary Danner's house at the end at Avenue 50 Studios. Sign up online at the Heritage Trust website, donation would be appreciated.
Highland Park Heritage Trust, meet at the Band Shell
Neighborhood walking tour of the area around where Occidental was located when Jeffers was there. The tour will be led by Occidental alumni, Marilyn and Curt Robertson ('70, '68). The tour will begin at the band shell with a poetry reading and include two more readings at two of the houses. Refreshments will be served at Hillary Danner's house at the end at Avenue 50 Studios. Sign up online at the Heritage Trust website, donation would be appreciated.
Friday, October 16, 2009
New Addition! Wed., Oct 21, 7pm: Poetry at Eagle Rock Plaza
Wednesday, October 21
7:00pm-10:00pm Light the Sky Poetry Series
The Metro Cafe, Eagle Rock Plaza
2700 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, 90041
Come join us as poets Brendan Constantine, Elizabeth Iannaci, Charlotte Innes, and Cathie Sandstrom read Jeffers poetry and add their unique and dynamic voices to Light the Sky at Eagle Rock Plaza. See Light the Sky Poetry Series website for more information.
7:00pm-10:00pm Light the Sky Poetry Series
The Metro Cafe, Eagle Rock Plaza
2700 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, 90041
Come join us as poets Brendan Constantine, Elizabeth Iannaci, Charlotte Innes, and Cathie Sandstrom read Jeffers poetry and add their unique and dynamic voices to Light the Sky at Eagle Rock Plaza. See Light the Sky Poetry Series website for more information.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Join us for this weekend's Big Read Events!
Saturday, October 17
9:30am – 11:00am
Family Nature Walk in Debs Park
Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 North Griffin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Explore fall in Debs Park on this walk focusing on the poetry of Robinson Jeffers and nature. Hear poetry and create your own poem about Debs Park. Families with children of all ages are welcome.
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Wildlife Waystation presentation
Glendale Central Library Auditorium
222 E. Harvard St., Glendale, CA 91205
Reflecting Robinson Jeffers’ passion for the rich beauty of the natural world, the Glendale Public Library will host an event with the Wildlife Waystation who will discuss the organization's mission and history. Included in the event will be a presentation with a live great horned owl. The Wildlife Waystation, located in the Angeles National Forest, was founded in 1976 as a rescue and rehabilitation refuge for both native and exotic wild animals.
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Jeffers in Debs Park
Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 North Griffin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Drop by the Center to see our Arroyo Seco Museum Science Magnet School students’ art and poetry inspired by the works of Robinson Jeffers. Students will be on hand to describe their creations.
4:00pm – 5:00pm
Poetry Reading by Los Angeles Poetry Festival
Arroyo Seco Regional Library, Los Angeles Public Library
6145 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
"The Deer Lay Down Their Bones:” Poems by and in the spirit of Robinson Jeffers. California poets will read Jeffers’ poetry and their own responses. Led by Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival and featuring Dorothy Barresi, B.H. Fairchild, and Lynn Thompson with special guest poets Erika Ayon and Judith Pacht.
Sunday, October 18
3:30pm – 5:00pm
Friends of LA River Walking Tour
Lower Arroyo Seco Nature Park, Friends of the LA River
Join us for a special walking tour along the Arroyo Seco that combines poetry and nature! Explore one of the beautiful tributaries of the Los Angeles River that features restored native vegetation, walking paths and spectacular, historic bridges. Meet at 3:30 pm at the Lower Arroyo Seco Nature Park parking lot located at South Arroyo Blvd. and Norwood Drive. Walks are about an hour and a half and we ask a suggested donation of $10. See Friends of the LA River website for directions.
9:30am – 11:00am
Family Nature Walk in Debs Park
Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 North Griffin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Explore fall in Debs Park on this walk focusing on the poetry of Robinson Jeffers and nature. Hear poetry and create your own poem about Debs Park. Families with children of all ages are welcome.
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Wildlife Waystation presentation
Glendale Central Library Auditorium
222 E. Harvard St., Glendale, CA 91205
Reflecting Robinson Jeffers’ passion for the rich beauty of the natural world, the Glendale Public Library will host an event with the Wildlife Waystation who will discuss the organization's mission and history. Included in the event will be a presentation with a live great horned owl. The Wildlife Waystation, located in the Angeles National Forest, was founded in 1976 as a rescue and rehabilitation refuge for both native and exotic wild animals.
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Jeffers in Debs Park
Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 North Griffin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Drop by the Center to see our Arroyo Seco Museum Science Magnet School students’ art and poetry inspired by the works of Robinson Jeffers. Students will be on hand to describe their creations.
4:00pm – 5:00pm
Poetry Reading by Los Angeles Poetry Festival
Arroyo Seco Regional Library, Los Angeles Public Library
6145 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
"The Deer Lay Down Their Bones:” Poems by and in the spirit of Robinson Jeffers. California poets will read Jeffers’ poetry and their own responses. Led by Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival and featuring Dorothy Barresi, B.H. Fairchild, and Lynn Thompson with special guest poets Erika Ayon and Judith Pacht.
Sunday, October 18
3:30pm – 5:00pm
Friends of LA River Walking Tour
Lower Arroyo Seco Nature Park, Friends of the LA River
Join us for a special walking tour along the Arroyo Seco that combines poetry and nature! Explore one of the beautiful tributaries of the Los Angeles River that features restored native vegetation, walking paths and spectacular, historic bridges. Meet at 3:30 pm at the Lower Arroyo Seco Nature Park parking lot located at South Arroyo Blvd. and Norwood Drive. Walks are about an hour and a half and we ask a suggested donation of $10. See Friends of the LA River website for directions.
Troop 235 and The Big Read
Check out photos of Girl Scouts of America Troop 235's Jeffers poetry project at the Ethnobotanical Garden at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian here!
Troop 235 member Elisa Montag's reflection on the project:
Troop 235 member Elisa Montag's reflection on the project:
In late August, I met with two Occidental College Librarians and discussed the BIG READ program dedicated to Robinson Jeffers. We decided we would work with the Southwest Museum and help them with their big event: the unveiling of a sculpture commemorating Native Americans in the museum's courtyard. On September 20, an Occidental English Professor came and talked with San Marino Girl Scout Troop 235 about Robinson Jeffers's poetry. Later, we met with a graphic designer, Kay Brown, and discussed how to incorporate Jeffers's poetry with the unveiling ceremony. We decided we would put up signs with excerpts from Jeffers's poems. Then on October 4, with the help of our graphic designer, we completed and installed all the signs. At the unveiling ceremony on October 10, we did a choral reading of Jeffers's poem, "The Beauty Of Things." Finally, we went to the garden and presented our signs to the guests.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thursday: Jeffers on Nature of Things & Things of Nature
Thursday, October 15
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Keynote Panel: “Robinson Jeffers on the Nature of Things and the Things of Nature”
Occidental College, Johnson Hall, Alumni Auditorium
1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041
A panel of Jeffers scholars will discuss the scientific and poetic ways of understanding the world including the relationship of poetry—Jeffers’ poetry in particular—to evolution, natural history and ecological concerns in the modern period. For panelists and bios, click thru the posting title.
Photos and recent Coverage
Friday, October 9, 2009
Fans of Jeffers: Full Schedule & Details
Just a reminder that the full schedule is online. Click this posting title or visit The Big Read: Robinson Jeffers Facebook page. Are you a fan yet?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Check out our Facebook page for photos and coverage of the Big Read!
Click on this post's title to go straight to our Facebook page. While you're there, become a fan!
Here are some links to coverage the Big Read has been getting:
Occidental Weekly
Sierra Club Magazine
LA Blips blog
Highland Park blog
SoCal Minds blog
Cheapsters blog
Eastsider LA blog
Here are some links to coverage the Big Read has been getting:
Occidental Weekly
Sierra Club Magazine
LA Blips blog
Highland Park blog
SoCal Minds blog
Cheapsters blog
Eastsider LA blog
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
This Weekend's Big Read Events!
Saturday, October 10
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Jeffers in the Ethnobotanical Garden opening
Southwest Museum of the American Indian
234 Museum Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Engage with Jeffers poetry while walking through the Ethnobotanical Garden. Poetry chosen and placed in the garden by the girls of Girl Scout Troop 235.
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Tongva Tiat Sculpture Dedication
Southwest Museum of the American Indian
234 Museum Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90065
The dedication of a sculpture donated to the museum by the Southwest Museum Docent Council will be highlighted by readings of Jeffers poetry. The sculpture, installed in the patio at the museum entrance, is a steel model of the Tiat, the traditional plank canoe with which the Tongva/Gabrielino peoples plied the waters between the mainland and the Channel Islands. The sculpture is the work of local artist, Gerardo Hacer, who creates what he calls “steel origami”. Light refreshments will be served.
4:00pm - 5:30pm
Poetry Reading by Los Angeles Poetry Festival
El Alisal / Lummis House
200 East Avenue 43, Los Angeles, CA 90031
"The Deer Lay Down Their Bones:” Poems by and in the spirit of Robinson Jeffers. California poets will read Jeffers’ poetry and their own responses. Led by Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival and featuring Charles Harper Webb, Cecilia Woloch, actress Dale Raoul (True Blood) reading the poetry of Robinson Jeffers, and special guest poet Jamie Asae FitzGerald. Presented by the Historical Society of Southern California.
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Jeffers in the Ethnobotanical Garden opening
Southwest Museum of the American Indian
234 Museum Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Engage with Jeffers poetry while walking through the Ethnobotanical Garden. Poetry chosen and placed in the garden by the girls of Girl Scout Troop 235.
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Tongva Tiat Sculpture Dedication
Southwest Museum of the American Indian
234 Museum Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90065
The dedication of a sculpture donated to the museum by the Southwest Museum Docent Council will be highlighted by readings of Jeffers poetry. The sculpture, installed in the patio at the museum entrance, is a steel model of the Tiat, the traditional plank canoe with which the Tongva/Gabrielino peoples plied the waters between the mainland and the Channel Islands. The sculpture is the work of local artist, Gerardo Hacer, who creates what he calls “steel origami”. Light refreshments will be served.
4:00pm - 5:30pm
Poetry Reading by Los Angeles Poetry Festival
El Alisal / Lummis House
200 East Avenue 43, Los Angeles, CA 90031
"The Deer Lay Down Their Bones:” Poems by and in the spirit of Robinson Jeffers. California poets will read Jeffers’ poetry and their own responses. Led by Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival and featuring Charles Harper Webb, Cecilia Woloch, actress Dale Raoul (True Blood) reading the poetry of Robinson Jeffers, and special guest poet Jamie Asae FitzGerald. Presented by the Historical Society of Southern California.
Photos from this Weekend's Big Read Events
Check out the Big Read Facebook page for photos from this weekend's events:
1. "The Deer Lay Down Their Bones:” Poems by and in the spirit of Robinson Jeffers. California poets will read Jeffers’ poetry and their own responses. Led by Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival and featuring Sarah Maclay, Carine Topal, William Archila, Brendan Constantine with special guest poets Charlotte Innes and Terry McCarty.
Location: Eagle Rock Branch, Los Angeles Public Library
2. In poetry of great scope and precise detail, Robinson Jeffers discovered the divinity of nature as it is understood by modern science. Jeffers documented his discoveries in thrilling and violent “verse novels,” set in California’s coastal mountains, and meditative lyric poems that express an environmental secular faith that is still relevant today. Presented by George Hart, Associate Professor of English at California State University, Long Beach and Co-editor of Jeffers Studies.
Location: Vroman's Book Store, Pasadena
1. "The Deer Lay Down Their Bones:” Poems by and in the spirit of Robinson Jeffers. California poets will read Jeffers’ poetry and their own responses. Led by Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival and featuring Sarah Maclay, Carine Topal, William Archila, Brendan Constantine with special guest poets Charlotte Innes and Terry McCarty.
Location: Eagle Rock Branch, Los Angeles Public Library
2. In poetry of great scope and precise detail, Robinson Jeffers discovered the divinity of nature as it is understood by modern science. Jeffers documented his discoveries in thrilling and violent “verse novels,” set in California’s coastal mountains, and meditative lyric poems that express an environmental secular faith that is still relevant today. Presented by George Hart, Associate Professor of English at California State University, Long Beach and Co-editor of Jeffers Studies.
Location: Vroman's Book Store, Pasadena
Friday, October 2, 2009
Saturday, Oct 2: Eagle Rock & Pasadena!
Visit Vroman's at 1pm and Eagle Rock Library at 4pm, details at....
Schedule of Events (new improved website!)
Schedule of Events (new improved website!)
Jeffers Big Read Kick Off
Here are links to photos and story from Oxy! Great event, lots of poetry, and thoughtful remarks. We raised $253 in donations for Wildlife Waystation with Jeffers T-shirts.
http://www.oxy.edu/x8952.xml
http://www.facebook.com/occidental
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oxyphotos/sets/72157622501803044/
Check out our Facebook page for more photos from the kickoff:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=125902&id=135260811486&ref=mf
http://www.oxy.edu/x8952.xml
http://www.facebook.com/occidental
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oxyphotos/sets/72157622501803044/
Check out our Facebook page for more photos from the kickoff:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=125902&id=135260811486&ref=mf
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Big Read Kicks Off Tonight! More Events on Saturday
Thursday, October 1
6:00pm - 8:00pm Kick Off for The Big Read
Mary Norton Clapp Library, Occidental College
1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Join Oxy, our community partners and special guests to launch The Big Read with poetry reading by the Oxy community, a message from Robinson Jeffers to Oxy recorded in 1955. The night marks the opening of "Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry" exhibit featuring a wide selection of rare Jeffers artifacts, photos, and books, works of Oxy and local poets and works by Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective on the theme of water, exhibits on North Los Angeles ecology. Big Read t-shirts will be available, and donations for these shirts will support the Wildlife Waystation.
Saturday, October 3
1:00pm – 2:00pm Jeffers Poetry presented by George Hart
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
In poetry of great scope and precise detail, Robinson Jeffers discovered the divinity of nature as it is understood by modern science. Jeffers documented his discoveries in thrilling and violent “verse novels,” set in California’s coastal mountains, and meditative lyric poems that express an environmental secular faith that is still relevant today. Presented by George Hart, Associate Professor of English at California State University, Long Beach and Co-editor of Jeffers Studies.
3:00pm - 4:30pm Poetry Reading by Los Angeles Poetry Festival
Eagle Rock Branch, Los Angeles Public Library
5027 Caspar Avenue, Los Angeles, 90041
"The Deer Lay Down Their Bones:” Poems by and in the spirit of Robinson Jeffers. California poets will read Jeffers’ poetry and their own responses. Led by Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival and featuring Sarah Maclay, Carine Topal, William Archila, Brendan Constantine with special guest poets Charlotte Innes and Terry McCarty.
6:00pm - 8:00pm Kick Off for The Big Read
Mary Norton Clapp Library, Occidental College
1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Join Oxy, our community partners and special guests to launch The Big Read with poetry reading by the Oxy community, a message from Robinson Jeffers to Oxy recorded in 1955. The night marks the opening of "Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry" exhibit featuring a wide selection of rare Jeffers artifacts, photos, and books, works of Oxy and local poets and works by Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective on the theme of water, exhibits on North Los Angeles ecology. Big Read t-shirts will be available, and donations for these shirts will support the Wildlife Waystation.
Saturday, October 3
1:00pm – 2:00pm Jeffers Poetry presented by George Hart
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
In poetry of great scope and precise detail, Robinson Jeffers discovered the divinity of nature as it is understood by modern science. Jeffers documented his discoveries in thrilling and violent “verse novels,” set in California’s coastal mountains, and meditative lyric poems that express an environmental secular faith that is still relevant today. Presented by George Hart, Associate Professor of English at California State University, Long Beach and Co-editor of Jeffers Studies.
3:00pm - 4:30pm Poetry Reading by Los Angeles Poetry Festival
Eagle Rock Branch, Los Angeles Public Library
5027 Caspar Avenue, Los Angeles, 90041
"The Deer Lay Down Their Bones:” Poems by and in the spirit of Robinson Jeffers. California poets will read Jeffers’ poetry and their own responses. Led by Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival and featuring Sarah Maclay, Carine Topal, William Archila, Brendan Constantine with special guest poets Charlotte Innes and Terry McCarty.
The Occidental Weekly on the Big Read
Check out Occidental Weekly writer Richie DeMaria's excellent front-page story on The Big Read here!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Kick Off this Thursday! See Schedule for more
Thursday, October 1
6:00pm - 8:00pm Kick Off for The Big Read
Mary Norton Clapp Library, Occidental College
1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Join Oxy, our community partners and special guests to launch The Big Read with poetry reading by the Oxy community, a message from Robinson Jeffers to Oxy recorded in 1955. The night marks the opening of "Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry" exhibit featuring a wide selection of rare Jeffers artifacts, photos, and books, works of Oxy and local poets and works by Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective on the theme of water, exhibits on North Los Angeles ecology. Big Read t-shirts will be available, and donations for these shirts will support the Wildlife Waystation.
6:00pm - 8:00pm Kick Off for The Big Read
Mary Norton Clapp Library, Occidental College
1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Join Oxy, our community partners and special guests to launch The Big Read with poetry reading by the Oxy community, a message from Robinson Jeffers to Oxy recorded in 1955. The night marks the opening of "Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry" exhibit featuring a wide selection of rare Jeffers artifacts, photos, and books, works of Oxy and local poets and works by Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective on the theme of water, exhibits on North Los Angeles ecology. Big Read t-shirts will be available, and donations for these shirts will support the Wildlife Waystation.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Want to know more about Robinson Jeffers?
The NEA Big Read website offers an interesting biography of Robinson Jeffers. You can listen to a 40 minute radio show that includes poetry readings.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Become a Fan of Robinson Jeffers!
The Big Read: Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry is now on Facebook! Become a fan and post event pictures and comments. Also look for the schedule of events and more information about the Big Read.
Monday, September 14, 2009
A Jeffers poem in your pocket?
To feel greatly, and understand greatly, and express greatly, the natural Beauty, is the sole business of poetry. --Robinson Jeffers, The Beauty of Things
Sign up today and follow Robinson Jeffers at http://twitter.com/RobinsonJeffers. You'll receive lines of a Jeffers "poem-tweet" in your cell phone or on your computer screen throughout the day. Look forward to a new poem daily. A powerful way to pause, reflect and connect.
Poems are brought to you as part of The Big Read: Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry, presented by Occidental College and 15 community partners October 1 through November 7, 2009.
Sign up today and follow Robinson Jeffers at http://twitter.com/RobinsonJeffers. You'll receive lines of a Jeffers "poem-tweet" in your cell phone or on your computer screen throughout the day. Look forward to a new poem daily. A powerful way to pause, reflect and connect.
Poems are brought to you as part of The Big Read: Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry, presented by Occidental College and 15 community partners October 1 through November 7, 2009.
Sierra Club follows Jeffers Big Read
Visit the Sierra Club's online community and its blog about our Big Read events: Nature Poetry and The Big Read . Hope you'll share your thoughts.
Following Robinson Jeffers' poetic path in Big Sur
In recent Sunday LA Times Travel section, Scott Timberg writes of Following Robinson Jeffers' poetic path in Big Sur ...Big Sur was the setting and inspiration for many of Jeffers' writings. The result: poems that, like the area, were often serene, often wild, often thought-provoking. You can visit Scott Timberg at http://scott-timberg.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Schedule of Events Now Available
"Schedule at a Glance" is a quick listing of events. See the calendar for full description of events, then check the map for locations.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Oxy Indie Study : Performance Workshop
Oxy alumni and California poet, Robinson Jeffers, has been called the Prophet of Place. During the Fall of 2009, writer/director Corey Madden with support from Occidental College’s National Endowment for the Arts “Big Read” grant will lead an independent study course to investigate and creatively respond to Jeffers’ artistic legacy with 15 students using themes drawn from his poetry.
Students can enroll in a participatory nine (9) week workshop where they will learn about creating inter-disciplinary performance and engaging with diverse communities. Students will develop skills in devising and composition; two techniques of this kind of performative work. Students will explore themes (such as sustainability), compositional elements (such as natural elements, music, movement, environments) and the work of artists including Jeffers, but also Maya Lin, Andy Goldsworthy and Isamu Noguchi and environmental writers such as John McPhee.
From this creative and critical engagement students will create their own multi/inter-disciplinary performances and installations that will be presented on the campus for the public and Oxy community (November 1-7, 2009.) Contact Corey Madden via Dale Stieber @ dstieber@oxy.edu
Students can enroll in a participatory nine (9) week workshop where they will learn about creating inter-disciplinary performance and engaging with diverse communities. Students will develop skills in devising and composition; two techniques of this kind of performative work. Students will explore themes (such as sustainability), compositional elements (such as natural elements, music, movement, environments) and the work of artists including Jeffers, but also Maya Lin, Andy Goldsworthy and Isamu Noguchi and environmental writers such as John McPhee.
From this creative and critical engagement students will create their own multi/inter-disciplinary performances and installations that will be presented on the campus for the public and Oxy community (November 1-7, 2009.) Contact Corey Madden via Dale Stieber @ dstieber@oxy.edu
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Big Read Official Graphics
The Big Read credit line and logo block must be used in all printed materials and digital communications related to GRANTEE's events and activities. (Refer to "Crediting Document")
The credit line for The Big Read is as follows:
"The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest."
The following items are 3 versions of the official Big Read logo block,
Colored logo with black background (JPEG)
Colored logo with white background (JPEG)
Black and white logo (JPEG)
Here is John Sherffius' caricature of Robinson Jeffers approved for use by community partners by the NEA.
Caricature of Robinson Jeffers (JPEG)
Higher resolution images (TIFFs) are available upon request. Please Contact Dale or Emily for further information on how to obtain or use materials for the Big Read.
The credit line for The Big Read is as follows:
"The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest."
The following items are 3 versions of the official Big Read logo block,
Colored logo with black background (JPEG)
Colored logo with white background (JPEG)
Black and white logo (JPEG)
Here is John Sherffius' caricature of Robinson Jeffers approved for use by community partners by the NEA.
Caricature of Robinson Jeffers (JPEG)
Higher resolution images (TIFFs) are available upon request. Please Contact Dale or Emily for further information on how to obtain or use materials for the Big Read.
NEA Guidelines: Educational Materials
For a list of educational materials provided by the NEA please refer to the following excerpt from the NEA's Grant Agreement.
Educational Materials (PDF)
Educational Materials (PDF)
NEA Guidelines: Promotional Materials and Website Information
For information regarding the types of promotional materials provided by the NEA please refer to the following excerpt from the NEA's Grant Agreement.
Promotional Material and Web Sites (PDF)
Promotional Material and Web Sites (PDF)
NEA Guidelines: Permissions
Permission must be obtained for the use of any texts, images or videos used in Big Read programming events. For further information regarding permissions please refer to the following excerpt from the NEA's Grant Agreement.
Permissions and Working with Publishers (PDF)
Permissions and Working with Publishers (PDF)
NEA Guidelines: Crediting
The Big Read credit line and logo block must be used in all printed materials and digital communications related to GRANTEE's events and activities. Please refer to the following excerpt from the NEA's Grant Agreement for more information regarding crediting.
Crediting (PDF)
Crediting (PDF)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Folk and Historical Dance Troup
We have a suite of American folk dances (and a variety of European ones) that we are willing to offer as a potential program for some other organization's venue. Some pieces are purely for performance, whereas other simpler ones are more interactive with the audience.
We would prefer to dance in a space with a hardwood floor, though we are flexible.
Dates we are available: October 10th/11th, 17th or 18th, and 25th.
If you are interested in collaborating with us, please contact:
Anna DeNeui adeneui@oxy.edu
We would prefer to dance in a space with a hardwood floor, though we are flexible.
Dates we are available: October 10th/11th, 17th or 18th, and 25th.
If you are interested in collaborating with us, please contact:
Anna DeNeui adeneui@oxy.edu
Friday, July 10, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Jeffers Big Read
Welcome to the Jeffers Big Read Blog! Get news, updates,links and the schedule of events taking place for "The Big Read: Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry" this October 1 to November 7, 2009 in Northeast Los Angeles, presented by Occidental College and community partners.
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